Madison Shanley has been singing the national anthem at Portland Timbers games since 2009. She's done the same for the Portland Thorns since the team's inaugural season in 2013, estimating she's sung the anthem at games 15-20 times a season. But Sunday's rendition prior to the matchup between the Timbers and the LA Galaxy was like no other performance.
Shanley, 27, wore a red shirt emblazoned with the words "You Knew," and instead of a run-of-the-mill anthem performance, it became a day Shanley describes as filled with confrontation, anxiety and what she feels was the Timbers organization's attempt to silence her.